[Yamato Co., Ltd.] First "Sanchi Fes" connecting creators with Tokyo

Yamato Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, President: Takayuki Yajima), which operates kimono specialty stores, will designate May 2026 as "Minsa Obi Month" and implement various projects as an initiative to broadly convey the appeal of the traditional textile "Minsa Obi" woven in the Yaeyama Islands of Okinawa Prefecture.

As the main event, co-hosted with the Kimono no Mori General Incorporated Foundation, we will hold the first "Sanchi Fes" (Production Area Festival), an event where you can meet creators and touch upon the background of craftsmanship, at the Yamato Co., Ltd. headquarters building in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, for three days from May 2 (Sat) to May 4 (Mon/Holiday), 2026.

■ 3 Days to Meet Creators and Touch the Background of Craftsmanship "Sanchi Fes"

"Sanchi Fes" is an event where you can meet creators from kimono production areas (Sanchi) across Japan and experience the appeal of craftsmanship.
At the venue, creators from various regions will gather, including the "Minsa Obi" of Yaeyama, Okinawa, the cotton kimono "Kurume Kasuri" of Fukuoka, and the "Wasai-shi" (Japanese dressmakers) who tailor kimonos. In addition to exhibitions of artworks, tools, and dyes, you can experience the culture and techniques behind kimonos through hands-on projects and talk events.

Visitors can directly hear stories from the creators and "see, learn, and experience" the charm of Japanese handcrafts while actually moving their hands.

■ Participatory Special Event to Weave an Obi Together with Visitors

From the Yaeyama Minsa production area in Okinawa, creators based in Taketomi Island and Ishigaki Island, Mr. Shimanaka and Mr. Sato, will attend. At the venue, we will hold a special participatory event to weave a single Minsa Obi together with the visitors.
By touching the process while being taught directly by the creators, you can feel closer to craftsmanship.

Also, from the Kurume Kasuri production area, Mr. Kubo of Kubo Kasuri Orimono will attend. We will hold a "Kasuri thread untying experience" at the venue, allowing you to actually feel the mechanism of how patterns are born while moving your hands.

Furthermore, a panel discussion by Mr. Shimanaka and Mr. Kubo is also scheduled. They will talk about how the history and climate of the production areas, and the lives of the people living there, are tied to craftsmanship. A Q&A session will also be held, providing an opportunity for visitors and creators to exchange words directly.

In addition, in a demonstration by a first-class Japanese dressmaker (Mr. Osada), visitors will see how a bolt of cloth is...